What a crazy 2024 has been for Dasha. After releasing her excellent ‘What Happens Now' album (our review here) her song ‘Austin' blew up in just about every place possible in both the real world and online. With follow up song, ‘Didn't I' now out in the world and the ‘What Happens Now?' deluxe album due out on September 13th we caught up with her to talk about the year, the music and what happens next (see what we did there?) at this year's Long Road festival in the UK.
Welcome back to England, how is the trip going?
It's been amazing!!
How was the Reading festival – thats historically an indie rock festival! How did they receive you there?
It was insane. I kicked off the main stage at noon and I wasn't really expecting much but it was packed and I was so happy! I was the only Country artist there so I did feel a little out of place but I feel like my attitude is a little bit punk rock so I felt like I fitted in! (laughing) The crowd went off and I had to stop myself from jumping in there with them!
Since we spoke last in April you've released ‘Didn't I' as the follow up to ‘Austin.' Of all the songs you have in the bank, why that one for the follow up?
‘Didn't I' felt like the right vibe and mood for the follow up. I wanted to keep an uptempo feeling going as we moved into summer. I have so much time to release more emotional songs and songs with deeper feelings and I felt like ‘Didn't I' spoke to who I am right now – it's so catchy and it felt like the right move to make.
You've not given up on your sad song / songwriter style yet have you? I love songs like '42' and ‘Drown Me,' as you know!
Oh no! I love those songs too, they are my favourite ones to write, let me tell you!
How much pressure did you feel about getting the follow up to ‘Austin' right?
MY GOD! I was kinda freaking out because I know that I am a career artist who still has so much more to say. A lot of people had only heard me sing ‘Austin' so there was a lot of pressure there, right? I needed to get the next thing that they hear from me right. I was scared but my label guided me and I'm glad that we really all trusted each other on it because it is going well so far!
‘Didn't I' is about the same guy as ‘Austin,' right?
Yeah. It is. Even though that relationship is long over I still have so much more to say about it! (laughing)
I saw you on the Chevy Vibes stage at CMA Fest in Nashville in June. You had such a busy week that week! What was the highlight of the week for you?
I think I did 12 shows that week. My favourite moment was probably getting to play the Nissan Stadium and then jumping in a black car and zooming over to Keith Urban and singing ‘Austin' with him at the Spotify House. It was the most insane two hours of my life! (laughing)
We went into rehearsals the day before for it. He'd texted me a couple of weeks earlier and asked if he could play with me – how cool is that? Playing ‘Austin' during his own set. His whole band was so excited to play it and they were so supportive.
Dancing on the bar at Lainey Wilson's place was cool too. Had to support my girl.
How cool is it that ‘What Happens Now?' has been released on vinyl now?
It's crazy. Wild. I've always dreamed of having my music out on vinyl so this is, literally a dream come true. To be able to physically hold your songs in your own hands is the craziest part of the whole thing.
You played six new songs in London the other night. Tell me when and where these ones are coming out.
We have announced the ‘What Happens Now?' deluxe version for release on September 13th. It will have five new tracks on it and then I have a lot of songs queued up for the new year – there is a lot of new music coming your way! (laughing)
Have you been writing with some interesting collaborators on the new music coming next year that you can share with us?
Oh there's been so many cool people. I've written with Emily Wiesband, she's so lovely. Ben Johnson too. We wrote some songs with Ashley Gorley (our interview with Ashley here) too. He's an incredible writer and guy too. I've also been hanging out with ERNEST, I've also got writes with HARDY and Thomas Rhett coming up too so I'm getting to write with a lot of people I really respect and look up to.
If you could tell us about one of the new songs on the deluxe that we need to be excited for which one should we be looking out for?
There's one called ‘Way Too Drunk' which was written after a night out with the girls where we ended up deathly hungover! (laughing) I was asking them exactly what we did – I needed some receipts in the form of videos or pictures! (laughing) We were laughing because it's not really talked about but so many people my age love to have a good night out or, as you Brits say, ‘go get pissed,' right? (laughing)
We were being vulnerable and asking what we got up to and saying it wasn't really us but laughing and ‘Way Too Drunk' was a cheeky way to ask ‘what did I do last night? Let's talk about it.' There's this one line that goes, ‘Did I drop my drink inside this rich kids truck and take off my shirt to help clean it up,' that I love – it's so chaotic and messy and youthful. I wrote that song with my brother, Bardo, who is on a lot of the tracks on the deluxe and Jake Ash, who is a terrific writer who was one of the writers on ‘Last Night' by Morgan Wallen.
When can we expect you back in the UK?
Hopefully really soon, I'm dying to come back. It will probably be early in the new year or maybe even (voice goes up an octave in a knowing way) later this year, who knows??? (laughing)
‘What Happens Now?' deluxe version is out September 13th in all the usual places.
